jdpiguet

[Kiwi-family]

Hi
I saw on your avatar you are pulling a "contraption". We saw a few of these while walking, but never when attached to the person they belonged to and so we were unable to ask questions at the time. May I ask you now?

Why do you use it? (ie what are the benefits?)
Is it cumbersome?
What about when struggling up a long steep hill?
Do you avhe to adjust your walking style to be able to hold two handles all the time? (I usually walk with poles, and my forearms move up and down continuously)
Do you happen to have tried a similar contraption which is sans handles? If so, why do you prefer this one?
What kind of bag do you carry?

Thanks

 

[Abbeydore]

don't worry K-f, your Pacerpoles are not redundant, the scary bit is going downhill, but some have brakes. I guess the big advantage is you can carry the kitchen sink ,

Did you meet the chap carrying his Cat, who really seemed to enjoy her/his home. He was using a converted sack-barrow & I don't think he had brakes :roll:

Personally, going light, is going to be better on your frame!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Your hands are, or can be, free with this hiking harness for some of the Chariot strollers. It is quite Pacer Pole compatible. The trick would be getting it to Spain! A backpack and other items fit nicely in the if they are placed slight forward of the balance point, and there is built-in rain protection. There will be a few places on the Camino Frances where staying on the road would be better than trying to navigate narrow, rocky trails.

http://www.etrailer.com/Sport-Carriers/ ... 16601.html

 

[Kiwi-family]

Given that I don't WANT to carry the kitchen sink (although a pot to use in the wonderfully empty kitchens in Galicia would have been useful!), would there be ANY reason to use one of these? I wondered if they maybe make your load seem super-duper light or something! Personally, I love walking with a backpack.
If we ever get to do the Iron Curtain Trail and we needed to carry supplies for a few days at a time up in Finland, maybe then it might be useful - but only if it made carrying a big weight easier. I just cannot imagine carrying 20kg on my back. Alternatively I could push a stroller filled with water containers and give the whole lot away when we reached "civilisation".

 

[peregrino_tom]

check this baby. 7kg with a 45kg payload. Hip belt, wooden handles and disc brake.
2000km camino? no problemo
http://monowalker.com/ENG-close-up.html

 

[Kiwi-family]

That's 7kg before you even take any gear! My whole pack including water and food weighs less than that! Then you gotta pull 45kg of stuff? I must be seriously missing something somewhere!
(It does look beautiful though - and so it should for a thousand euros!!!!)

 

[lovingkindness]

...pulling a trolley feels a bit like aquajogging. I met a trio of Dutch ladies in St Limoge-de-Noblat (Voie de Vezelay), two with trolleys, one a pack. One of the ladies was hoping to sell her trolley so I asked if I might take hers for a 'spin' arround the Place. The weight off my shoulders and unrestricted arm movement felt wonderful. I was tempted to buy but decided I didn't want to be limited in any way as to the type of trail I might follow...

 

[jdpiguet]

Hello Kiwi-Family,

Why do you use it? (ie what are the benefits?)

The weight of the "Carrix" is around 6 kg, my pack (with water and daily food) is around 10 kg. But I only have to support 4-5 kg on my back: my knees are weak and this small weight is very welcome! This system is "moving" the weight on the wheel so you have only 25-30% of the total on your back...

Is it cumbersome?

See above..

What about when struggling up a long steep hill?

The steepness is not a problem, but the quality of the surface can be...
Example: On SJPdP-Roncevalles, I had no problem at all, it's a hard for a big part. Villafranca-O'Cebreiro was more strenuous, due to the rolling stones and the rain.

Do you have to adjust your walking style to be able to hold two handles all the time? (I usually walk with poles, and my forearms move up and down continuously)

I'm not using sticks and I don't think it's possible: as there is only one wheel, you can avoid to use both hands on a flat, hard way but you need one and sometimes both to keep the balance.

Do you happen to have tried a similar contraption which is sans handles? If so, why do you prefer this one?

No, I haven't try. I saw 2 during my camino, but both were "self-made" systems which have not convince me of their efficiency...

What kind of bag do you carry?

I started with using my normal backpack 5 years ago, and I have bought a "customized" one this year. The biggest advantage of the customized one is that I can take the full pack+trailer on my back for a few 100 meters (for example the stairs in Portomarin), without dismounting anything.

Regards and if you have more questions, don't hesitate...

Buen camino, Jacques-D.

 

[Abbeydore]

Do you have to adjust your walking style to be able to hold two handles all the time? (I usually walk with poles, and my forearms move up and down continuously)

I'm not using sticks and I don't think it's possible: as there is only one wheel, you can avoid to use both hands on a flat, hard way but you need one and sometimes both to keep the balance

[/quote]
Buen camino, Jacques-D.[/quote]
:?:

from their website: http://www.carrix.ch/galeriee.html

Sadly Poles look a bit awkward, can see a bit of a fight going on sometimes!

 

[jdpiguet]

Hi Abbeydore,

The picture shows a "customized" Carrix, with 2 wheels instead of 1.
It has been modified for sand usage.

Mine is the standard one, with only one wheel.

BR, Jacques-D.